Football game with magnetic control rods

Claim 2

In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar support surface, and a plurality Of channel defining guide members at spaced locations about the periphery of said playing portion and therebelow for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane thereof; a control member mounted in each of said guide members each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said control means including a permanent magnet supported by said control member closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member being slidable in said guide member and pivotable therewith to permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under said playing portion; a plurality of player pieces having a base portion configured for stable seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said playing portion and at least one of said player pieces having an element of magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by said magnet of at least one of said control members and an electric vibrating mechanism operatively connected to said playing portion of said game board member for vibration thereof, at least some of said player pieces being readily movable along said board playing portion by vibratory action, whereby a selected player piece may be magnetically coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and slidably moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder while other player pieces are moved by vibratory action.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there are a multiplicity of player pieces divided into two teams, at least a plurality of player pieces of each team being configured to receive and conceal an element of magnetically susceptible material when mounted on each playing portion.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein only some of said plurality of pieces have said element of magnetically susceptible material whereby said control members are effective to move only some of the player pieces of each team.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said multiplicity of player pieces is divided into two teams and only some player pieces of each team include elements of magnetically susceptible material, the player pieces without said elements of magnetically susceptible material being movable along said playing portion by action of said vibratory mechanism.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base portions of said player pieces have a plurality of resiliently deformable leg elements depending therefrom and exposed providing the supporting contact of said player pieces upon said upper surface of said playing portion.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said element of magnetically susceptible material comprises a magnet in said player piece adjacent the upper surface of said playing portion for magnetic coupling to a magnet of a control member.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the magnet of one control member is disposed with its pole adjacent said bottom surface of said playing portion and the magnet of the other control member is disposed with its south pole adjacent said bottom surface, the player pieces being divided into opposing teams with the magnets of opposing teams being disposed with their poles reversed relative to one another, whereby a control member will magnetically couple to the player pieces of one team and magnetically repel the player pieces of the other team.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said playing portion of said board member is substantially rectangular, and wherein guide members are mounted along each of the longer sides thereof.

Claim 10

In a game playing method, the steps comprising: a. positioning a multiplicity of movable player pieces upon the planar upper surface of a game board, said player pieces constituting two identifiable teams each comprised of a plurality thereof, at least one player piece of each tEam being magnetically susceptible and at least a second player piece of each team being vibrationally movable upon said upper surface; b. vibrating said game board to effect the movement of said vibrationally movable second player pieces; c. magnetically moving said magnetically movable one player piece of a first of said teams toward a designated area of said game board along a path selected to avoid contact with any player piece of the second of said teams; and d. magnetically moving said one player piece of said second team toward said one player piece of said first team along a path intended to cause contact therewith.

Claim 11

In a game playing method, the steps comprising: a. positioning a multiplicity of movable player pieces upon the planar upper surface of a game board, said player pieces constituting two identifiable teams each comprised of a plurality thereof, at least one player piece of each tEam being magnetically susceptible and at least a second player piece of each team being vibrationally movable upon said upper surface; b. vibrating said game board to effect the movement of said vibrationally movable second player pieces; c. magnetically moving said magnetically movable one player piece of a first of said teams toward a designated area of said game board along a path selected to avoid contact with any player piece of the second of said teams; and d. magnetically moving said one player piece of said second team toward said one player piece of said first team along a path intended to cause contact therewith.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 wherein said magnetically susceptible player pieces are also vibrationally movable upon said upper surface, and wherein said vibrating step effects the movement of any thereof not being moved magnetically.

Claim 13

The method of claim 9 including a subsequent sequence of said steps (b), (c) and (d) following the additional step of altering the magnetic susceptibility of certain of said player pieces by rendering the magnetically susceptible player piece of at least one of said teams magnetically immovable and by rendering another of said player pieces of the same team magnetically movable.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9 wherein each of said teams includes at least two magnetically susceptible player pieces, and wherein said method includes the additional steps of magnetically moving a second magnetically susceptible player piece of said first team along a path selected to effect contact with player pieces of said second team to block contact of the first magnetically susceptible player piece of said first team thereby.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 including the additional step of magnetically moving a second magnetically susceptible player piece of said second team along a path selected to effect contact with said first magnetically susceptible player piece of said first team.

Claim 16

The method of claim 9 additionally including the step of deforming a portion of the player pieces of at least one of said teams to preselect the general direction of vibrational movement thereof.

Claim 17

In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar support surface and including depending sidewall portions, and a plurality of control member support fixtures mounted in said depending sidewall portions at spaced locations about the periphery of said playing portion, each of said fixtures including a subassembly of an integrally formed synthetic plastic, generally planar mounting plate disposed generally perpendicularly to said playing portion and having a passageway therethrough elongated in a direction parallel to the plane of said playing portion and also having upper and lower laterally extending flange elements, and an integrally formed synthetic plastic channel-defining guide member pivotally mounted in said passageway between said flange elements of said plate for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said playing portion, said guide member being of generally cylindrical configuration and having a channel extending diametrically therethrough centrally disposed relative to the passageway of said mounting plate, said channel being disposed below said playing portion; a control member mounted in each of said guide members each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft outwardly of said game board, and control means adjacent the inner end of said shaft inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said control means including a permanent magnet supported by said control member closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member being slidable in said guide member and pivotable therewith to permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under said playing portion; and a plurality of player pieces having a base portion configured for stable seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said playing portion and at least one of said player pieces having an element of magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by said magnet of at least one of said control members, whereby a player piece may be magnetically coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and slidably moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder.

Claim 18

In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar support surface and including depending sidewall portions, and a plurality of control member support fixtures mounted in said depending sidewall portions at spaced locations about the periphery of said playing portion, each of said fixtures including a subassembly of an integrally formed synthetic plastic, generally planar mounting plate disposed generally perpendicularly to said playing portion and having a passageway therethrough elongated in a direction parallel to the plane of said playing portion and also having upper and lower laterally extending flange elements, and an integrally formed synthetic plastic channel-defining guide member pivotally mounted in said passageway between said flange elements of said plate for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said playing portion, said guide member being of generally cylindrical configuration and having a channel extending diametrically therethrough centrally disposed relative to the passageway of said mounting plate, said channel being disposed below said playing portion; a control member mounted in each of said guide members each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft outwardly of said game board, and control means adjacent the inner end of said shaft inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said control means including a permanent magnet supported by said control member closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member being slidable in said guide member and pivotable therewith to permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under said playing portion; and a plurality of player pieces having a base portion configured for stable seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said playing portion and at least one of said player pieces having an element of magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by said magnet of at least one of said control members, whereby a player piece may be magnetically coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and slidably moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said passageway of said mounting plate is wider in its central portion than adjacent the ends thereof, and wherein said guide member is mounted with said channel thereof in registry with said central portion of said passageway.

Claim 20

In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar support surface and including depending sidewall portions, and a plurality of channel defining guide means at spaced locations about the periphery of said playing portion and providing channels therebelow; a control member mounted in each of said guide means for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said playing portion and each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft outwardly of said game board, and control means adjacent the inner end of said shaft inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said control means including a permanent magnet supported by said control member closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member being slidable in said guide means and pivotable to permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under said playing portion; and a plurality of player pieces divided into two teams and each having a base portion configured for stable seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said playing portion, at least a plurality of players of each team being configured to receive and conceal an element of magnetically susceptible material and at least one of said player pieces of said plurality of at least one team having an element of magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by said magnet of at least one of said control members; and an electric vibrating mechanism operatively connected to said playing portion of said game board member for vibration thereof, at least some of said player pieces of each team being readily movable along said board playing portion by vibratory action of said vibrator mechanism, whereby only a selected player piece may be magnetically coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and slidably moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder while other player pieces are concurrently moved by vibratory action.

Claim 21

In a game apparatus, the combination comprising: a game board member including a relatively thin, substantially planar playing portion fabricated of a nonferrous material having means on the upper surface thereof defining a playing area, support means depending from said playing portion for spacing it above a planar support surface and including depending sidewall portions, and a plurality of channel defining guide means at spaced locations about the periphery of said playing portion and providing channels therebelow; a control member mounted in each of said guide means for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to said playing portion and each comprising an elongated shaft slidably seated in the channel and extending to both sides thereof with a handle portion adjacent the outer end of said shaft outwardly of said game board, and control means adjacent the inner end of said shaft inwardly of and below said game board playing portion, said control means including a permanent magnet supported by said control member closely adjacent the bottom surface of said playing portion, said control member being slidable in said guide means and pivotable to permit movement of said magnet to substantially any location under said playing portion; and a plurality of player pieces divided into two teams and each having a base portion configured for stable seating and sliding movement upon said upper surface of said playing portion, at least a plurality of players of each team being configured to receive and conceal an element of magnetically susceptible material and at least one of said player pieces of said plurality of at least one team having an element of magnetically susceptible material disposed therein for magnetic engagement by said magnet of at least one of said control members; and an electric vibrating mechanism operatively connected to said playing portion of said game board member for vibration thereof, at least some of said player pieces of each team being readily movable along said board playing portion by vibratory action of said vibrator mechanism, whereby only a selected player piece may be magnetically coupled with a magnet through said playing portion and slidably moved upon said upper surface thereof by manipulation of a control member and consequent movement of its magnet thereunder while other player pieces are concurrently moved by vibratory action.